Fountain of Youth
by Gromia
Summary: Fourth in the series. Blight has captured both Captain Planet and Kim because of what she's found out about one of them. What is it and how did she find out?
1. Prologue

**A/N:** I got the idea for this fic almost right after I had finished uploading **Trouble in Paradise** and I did start it a few weeks after that. Didn't work on it for a number of months until last June. Hence the long delay. But here it finally is.

**Disclaimer:** Alas, Captain Planet is still not mine. But my OC Kim and her pet Buddy are.

* * *

**Prologue**

Cap came to. At first he didn't know where he was or how he had got there. The superhero had to shake his head a number of times to clear it. He stood up, still feeling a bit wobbly but able to stay on his feet. Looking around he realized he was aboard Blight's ship.

All of a sudden, everything came back to him. He and Kim had been on their way to a place only he knew for his girlfriend's birthday, the destination a surprise for her. Gaia had cautioned him to be alert because she had sensed something was up. But things had happened so fast that neither of them had had a chance to do anything. Two canisters had flown at them. Kim was out cold in no time but Cap had managed to stay conscious for a moment more before he had blacked out, as well. The last thing he had seen had been the net that had extended to catch them. Had it been the combined effect of the gases that had left him so disoriented or something totally different the doc had come up with?

The last of the fog cleared his head. Kim! Where was she? The superhero looked around and spotted his girlfriend lying on her back on the floor a short distance away. She was still unconscious but was showing signs of waking up. Cap went to the woman.

Or would have if he hadn't met a transparent wall blocking him from getting to her. So he was forced to just watch as his girlfriend slowly returned to consciousness. She seemed to be alright if you ignored the minor scrapes she had. Cap could have just broken the barrier but had a feeling he would need his strength for later so refrained from doing that. It took a lot of willpower, though, his boyfriend side fighting with the superhero side. The latter won but only slightly. Better to just wait and see what would happen. There didn't seem to be any immediate danger present, anyway.

Kim groaned but didn't open her eyes yet. "Come on, honey," the superhero encouraged her. "Time to wake up."

She stirred and opened her eyes. Her whole body felt sore. "What happened?" the woman asked.

"You're both my prisoners, that's what happened," a voice said before Cap could reply.

The superhero eyed the villain. "What's this all about, Blight?" Capturing him he could understand but why had she taken Kim as well? Had the doctor just been impatient and hadn't cared whether or not they were both taken?

"This is getting a little old, isn't it?" Kim asked, uneasy. She had hoped never to meet the scientist up close again. Then the woman noticed the transparent wall separating them and was going to protest but noticed the bandage on the crook of her arm. Had Blight taken a sample while she was unconscious? What for? She caught the superhero's attention and showed the bandage to him. A peek under the gauze told them a sample had indeed been taken.

Cap was equally confused. Why take a sample of his girlfriend's blood of all things? He did have some inkling of it. It just couldn't be possible, could it? Well, hopefully they would find out eventually.

"There's nothing in my blood that could interest you," Kim said, unaware of his thoughts.

"On the contrary," Blight stated. "There is."

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**A/N:** If you wanna read more, **please R&R.**


	2. Past and future

**A/N:** This chapter explains how Blight's found out something that our heroes have tried to keep a secret. But it's out now!

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**Chapter 1: Past and future**

-In the future-

It was morning on Hope Island and Kim was in her hut, in front of the mirror applying some moisturizer to her face. The woman took a closer look and frowned. She knew she should've had some indication of the number of years gone by on her face by now. Aside from some faint laughter lines at the corners of her eyes, there was nothing to indicate her age. She knew she should've been happy about it but couldn't help but wonder. This just wasn't normal. The brunette wondered why it had taken her this long to notice.

Cap, who was lounging on their bed, taking it easy after an early mission, sensed her confusion. What it was about, the superhero didn't know, since he didn't want to poke that deeply in her head, respecting the privacy of her thoughts.

"What's up, love?" he asked, sitting up.

"More like what's not up," Kim said, meeting his eyes via the mirror as he joined her.

A slight crease appeared between his eyebrows at her comment, indicating his confusion as to what she meant.

"Don't you think I should have something to show for the years that we've been together on my face? Like a few wrinkles at least."

Years that had seen both ups and downs. The downs had mostly had to do with the passing of Buddy the dog. The animal had been loved by everyone on the island and his death had been a sad affair. But none had taken it as hard as Kim. The animal had been her companion for so many years that she didn't know how she would manage without him. With the support of her boyfriend and the Planeteers, Kim had gotten over the worst of it. The painting the woman had of her pet at the cabin had been brought to the island and it had found a place in the common hut. The love between the couple was as strong as ever. Every time she had thought her boyfriend couldn't surprise her anymore, he had managed to do just that.

Time didn't really mean that much to the superhero, unaffected by it as he seemingly was but he had to admit she was right, knowing how time should affect the human body. And now that she mentioned it, there clearly were no normal signs of the years gone by anywhere on his girlfriend. Why hadn't he noticed it before?

Cap was going to lighten the situation with some witty comment as was his M.O. but for once thought it best not to. He could see she was serious.

He wrapped his arms around the woman's waist, getting an idea. "Maybe we should go and see Gaia. See if she can shed some light into this."

That had been his solution to every problem when he didn't know the answer to something himself.

"I'd think she has more important things to worry about," Kim argued. Looking at their reflection, she thought the moment was very immortalizing-worthy. If she had the chance, maybe she could try out painting this. Even if she hadn't had much time for that since becoming the island's official mechanic.

The superhero smiled, looking at her via the mirror. "Honey, I can tell how much this is bothering you. So that makes it important to me." Her puzzlement and concern were indeed palpable. In addition to wanting her to get some answers, he wanted to know what was up, as well.

Kim did want to know the answer to this mystery, so she agreed to go and see the spirit. As the couple entered the Chamber, Gaia appeared as if she had known they were coming.

"Good morning," she greeted them.

After the initial pleasantries, they told the spirit why they had come to see her. "It just couldn't be thanks to the moisturizer I'm using," Kim finished. The stuff was effective, sure, but it had its limits.

Gaia looked at Cap. "What do I have to do with it?" the superhero asked in surprise, getting the meaning of the spirit's look.

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out by now," she said to him.

The couple looked at each other and then back at the spirit. "What's he done to me?" Kim wanted to know.

"And when did I do it?" the eco-hero asked, totally confused now.

Gaia sighed. There were times her adoptive son was so clueless despite his good memory. "Remember the time when she was in the hospital?" she asked patiently.

At his nod, the spirit was going to continue but Cap beat her to it. Now that she had mentioned it, he had figured out the rest on his own. The matter had been forgotten, even by him when nothing seemed to have had come up. "You mean that that dose I gave her of my blood back then did this?" He had done it on Gaia's prompting. How she had known it would help, he hadn't known. And hadn't asked, only glad that it had done the trick. But as it now had turned out, it had also had some kind of a side effect.

The spirit nodded. "It would appear so."

"Has his blood made me… like him?" Kim asked with wide eyes.

That he would have noticed. Not to mention everyone else, if it would've been anything like the time his own powers had emerged. "I wouldn't go that far, love," Cap argued. "You haven't displayed any powers, have you?"

The woman admitted nothing of that sort had cropped up, having just jumped to conclusions. Not that she would have wanted any powers. It might have been nice to get such powers for a little while but not for life.

"So we have to conclude that in addition to helping you recover," Gaia said to Kim. "It seems his blood has given you a longer lifespan. You will grow older but at a much slower rate than normal."

Kim and Cap exchanged another look. "Longer by how much?" The former wanted to know. She didn't know what to think about this new development.

"We won't know that until later," the spirit said.

Unbeknownst to the trio, the conversation was picked up by the audio sensors of a certain computer via a bug spy. MAL saved the conversation in his memory banks. He was sure Doctor Blight would find it interesting.

Elsewhere in the ship, Doctor Barbara Blight was busy taking her frustrations out on her equipment. Her latest experiment wasn't going as well as she had hoped. Time had not been good to her, the doctor's face far from smooth.

MAL's face appeared onto a screen in the room. He cleared his proverbial throat. "Excuse me, Doctor."

"Not now, MAL," Blight snapped. "I'm busy."

"I really think you should see this," her sidekick insisted, playing back the recording.

"To think he actually has blood in him," Blight mused after the clip ended. "Interesting kind of blood at that… MAL, bring up an image of her then and now for comparison."

MAL did as he was told, showing her an image of Kim as she had been when they had kidnapped her years before and bringing up an image of her today beside it. There were no signs of her having aged a day.

"No noticeable changes, Doctor," MAL said needlessly.

Blight looked at her reflection and didn't like what she saw. Despite her best efforts to stay beautiful, nothing had worked. Maybe this was what she had been waiting for. A grin spread itself on the doctor's face. One that MAL knew very well, having seen it many times. "This gives me an idea…"

"Do tell, Doctor," he said, curious as to what the doctor's idea was.

"Well, MAL, baby," the doctor said. "It involves going back in time…"

* * *

-In the past. Or present, however you want to look at it-

A hole in time appeared in the ship and Blight from the future stepped through it. MAL was the first to become aware of her. The computer was surprised to see her but quickly having looked her over came to the conclusion she was clearly from the future. His Blight had done enough time travel that the computer had become used to this.

"Hello, MAL," future Blight said pleasantly, turning off her portable controller for the portal. The hole closed itself for the moment. "Where might I find the younger me?"

"Doctor future dear," the computer said. "Haven't you noticed it's night time?"

For the first time Blight looked out the cockpit window and sure enough, it was dark although it was slowly beginning to brighten, marking the beginning of a new day.

"I don't care," Blight said. "Go and wake her up." She didn't want to wait.

"Not without a good reason I won't," MAL told her. "You know how cranky you get when I wake you prematurely."

She sighed, knowing this too well but didn't care right now. "Trust me, byte head. She would want to hear what I have to tell her. So move it, or she'll wake up to having a dismantled computer!"

MAL gulped. "Perish the thought." It must have been very important for her to make the trip back to the past. Important to her at least. "I will do my best." With that, he disappeared from the screen only to appear on the screen in the room serving as Blight's bedroom on the ship. The woman was snoring like no tomorrow.

MAL let loose a sound that imitated an alarm clock. A very loud alarm clock. Blight's snoring became disconnected until she woke up fully with a start.

"What's the big idea, MAL?" she demanded, annoyed at the rude awakening.

"Sorry to interrupt your beauty-sleep, but you have a visitor," MAL replied. "She was very insistent to talk with you."

"Who would want to visit me?" Blight asked, not really listening. "Especially at this hour."

MAL didn't disclose any more information. Curiosity won and she went to investigate. And came face to face with herself. Older, but it was her. As a scientist, time travel wasn't a strange concept to her.

After it was explained why she was there, Blight was all ears. Her future-self told her what she had seen and heard about Captain Planet and his girl. When asked if she had proof, Blight from the future produced a tape and popped it in, telling MAL to play it. She had had to go through the trouble of putting the clip into an older recording because of this trip. The computer did so, also curious about this new development.

"So that's how Planthead was able to save that woman of his after Bleak shot her," Blight mused when the method how the superhero had helped her was mentioned. _'To think he actually has blood in him…'_ If anything, she would have thought there was some kind of sap running inside the superhero. That would have fit better.

A devious grin spread itself on the woman's face as a plan was taking shape in her mind. Namely how she could use his blood to her advantage.

"Not a bad plan at all," future Blight commended her younger self. That was precisely why she had come to the past.

"How do you know what my plan is?" Blight asked in surprise. "I haven't told you about it yet."

"I'm you, remember," future Blight reminded her with a smirk. "I know everything you think because I already thought it." Blight figured that made sense so didn't comment further.

"Might I be let in on the plan, too?" MAL interjected.

"I'd think you would already have guessed, MAL, baby," Blight said. "I want to get my hands on Bluefus's blood."

"Maybe even drain him dry," future Blight put in.

"Sounds delicious," the computer praised.

Blight grinned. "Doesn't it?" Her brain was working to perfect the plan she had come up with. "If I pull this off, I won't end up looking like _that_." She indicated her older self.

"And as a bonus, if you pull it off, _we _probably won't have to deal with Blue Boy ever again," future Blight added. She was looking forward to looking young again. And continue her work without anyone trying to stop her. Without the superhero the Planetpains would be easy to take out.

Blight grinned. "That's music to my ears." Both of them laughed their signature laughs, ending with the typical sigh.

* * *

After her future self had left, Blight watched the island for a while for an opportunity to strike and capture the superhero. It didn't bother her if his girl was taken as well. She was needed too. But the ultimate experiment would be to get the superhero's blood. The doctor knew he wouldn't do anything voluntarily but she could think of ways to "persuade" him to do what she wanted.

Blight contacted Nukem, wanting the mutant to do something he would enjoy for her. But the yellow giant wasn't interested, still remembering the last time they had captured Planet. So the scientist had to do the job herself. She knew where to get stuff that would help her in reaching her goal, weakening the superhero. Nowadays there were quite many of those available despite the growing number of nature nerds. They would not be as fast as radiation but would get the job done, nonetheless. The end result was what mattered here.

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**A/N:** So what do you think? Please **R&R** and let me know.


	3. Out for blood

**Chapter 2: Out for blood**

Cap was trying to make sense of it all. Was _he_ the one who was just tagging along here, after all, while Kim was who Blight had been really after? The taken blood sample seemed to suggest that. But somehow he didn't buy it.

"You've finally flipped for good, Blight," the superhero stated, hoping the villain would spill the beans on what her scheme was so he would know what to expect.

"My thought exactly," Kim added, feeling uneasy.

The doctor smirked, ignoring the jab. "Didn't either of you wonder what your blood might do to her?" The question clearly took her captives completely by surprise and Blight knew she had the upper hand.

'_How does she know about my blood?'_ Cap wondered. No one except Gaia, the Planeteers and Kim knew about it. So where had the doc gotten the information from? They hadn't talked about it afterwards either, so her bug spy couldn't be the reason.

_And_ how in blazes had the doc found out about what he had done in the hospital? He had kept it a secret from everyone else but the Planeteers. Back then, the doctor there had mentioned there had been something strange in the blood sample they had taken after that, but Cap and Kim had convinced him it was nothing to worry about. The couple had wondered what his blood might do to the woman but when nothing had seemed to happen, the matter had been forgotten for the moment.

Kim didn't know what to make of it. Letting her imagination run wild, she thought that maybe the villain had had a spy in the hospital, who had somehow managed to see what the superhero was doing and had reported it to Blight. But she hadn't, and still didn't, felt any different after that so what could have changed?

Now Doctor Blight of all people claimed it _had_ done something. How had she found out about _that_ when even they didn't know about it?

The superhero gave a laugh and crossed his arms over his chest, appearing unconcerned. He was getting a bit worried, though. "You do realize that having blood's a human trait and I'm obviously not human." Only half human. That was again something only the aforementioned people knew.

"He does have a point, you know," Kim added.

That was obvious but once Blight got her hands on his blood, she would find out how it was possible, in addition to trying it on herself.

When asked if she had proof to back her claim about the blood, Blight simply turned to look at MAL. His green face disappeared and was replaced by an image of the Crystal Chamber. The image zoomed in to the three people inside.

After watching and listening to the conversation, it was Kim who spoke first. "It has to be a fake. We've never had a conversation like that."

"True." However, Cap had noticed something else while watching the tape. "But it seems we will. Did you notice the date?" If the date had been real, the tape was from the future. He just couldn't believe it would take them that long to notice something was not as it should be.

The brunette hadn't thought to look at the date that had been displayed on the upper right hand corner, having been so caught up with what she was seeing and hearing. She received an image of it from him, though and her eyes widened. "Has she been time traveling again?" The tape they had seen couldn't be explained in any other way.

So, if what they had seen and heard was real, it would mean the dose of blood her boyfriend had given her had indeed changed her. The proof had been right there on the screen. Her future self hadn't seemed to age at all.

"In a manner of speaking," Blight told her. "I was visited by my future self who gave me that tape you just saw."

Kim's head was spinning. Time travel, two Blight's scheming, prolonged lifespan… What was next?

Cap sighed. The cat was out of the bag so there was no use to try denying it anymore. "What could you possibly hope to gain by this?" he wanted to know. "If all her blood will give you is longevity?"

"If the dose you gave her gave her a longer lifespan, keeping her young, imagine what it will do to me if I take a bigger dose," Blight said. "I will gain immortality and have powers at the same time." She was reminded of what her older self had looked like and definitely didn't want that to happen. But now she had the solution at her fingertips.

The scientist had taken everything out of proportion. Cap knew there was no point in trying to tell her that. All he did was exchange an incredulous look with Kim and shook his head a little.

Then again, for all he knew maybe a bigger dose would do that…

But MAL was another matter. "Excuse me," he interjected. "You can't be sure…" The computer didn't get further than that before Blight told him to can it. She didn't want to hear any word edgewise, having made up her mind about the "facts".

* * *

"Where's she taking us?" Kim asked Cap after the doctor had left them alone, leaving MAL to keep an eye on them.

"To her hideout, presumably," the superhero replied. He was sure that otherwise the doc would have already made her next move.

"Can't you break us out of here?" she asked next, eyeing the transparent wall separating them from the rest of the ship. "That doesn't look so thick."

Cap figured it was better than just waiting for something to happen. At least then they would know how good their chances were. The superhero rammed the plexi glass in much the same manner as he had rammed an ice wall at one time, shoulder first. As he made contact with it, Cap felt as if he had been burned. With a surprised exclamation, which made Kim gasp, he jumped back and his hand went to his shoulder.

"I guess I should've known that wouldn't work, really," the woman commented with a sigh, seeing he hadn't hurt himself too badly. She just had had to think of something. Before anything more serious happened.

The superhero shrugged, taking his hand away from his shoulder. "It was worth a try."

MAL chuckled. "That's toxic plastic, Planet," the computer informed the captives. "Left over from the patch Dr. Blight had made for Plunder. Harmless to your girl but not to you. So stay put."

"So is this it?" Kim said, sitting down beside the glass wall separating the couple. She was biting her lip. "We're stuck here, with no way to escape?"

The superhero's mind was working to think of some plan, some way for them to get out of this. There was no way he was going to leave Kim with the demented doctor so the other option was the Planeteers. He knew his girlfriend could take care of herself but he still wanted to protect her. This was Blight, after all. Neither he nor the Planeteers knew where Blight's hideout was, though.

Cap sat down beside the partition. He could sense his girlfriend would have needed to him to hold her. He couldn't blame her, considering the situation they were in. He would have wanted to hold her too, if only to comfort her. The least he could do in this situation was stay as close to her as possible.

"There's always a way," he stated in a low voice. _"Once we reach the mainland see if you can spot any landmarks that could help the Planeteers in locating us,"_ he told her, switching to telepathy. _"I'll let them know what's going on."_

Kim looked at him and smiled a little, nodding. It made sense since she had a better view out the cockpit.

* * *

"_Blight's nabbed us. Probably taking us to her hideout. If at all possible, we'll try to get you some directions. Stay tuned."_

Captain Planet's message was short and to the point, making it clear what had happened. Wasting no time Gaia gathered the Planeteers to the Crystal Chamber. They discussed the best course of action to take.

First of all, they had to figure out how to find Blight's hideout but had nothing to go on. All they knew was she had the habit of establishing a hideout wherever she needed one. Hopefully Captain Planet could direct them where to go although he hadn't sounded sure. They knew the superhero could take care of himself, up to a point. And he would make sure Kim would not be harmed if he could help it. This also posed a problem, namely that he would not leave even if he could, not until he knew it was safe to do so. They had no idea what Blight had in store for him but if they knew something it was that it would not be anything good. The sooner they rescued the couple the better.

"What if they cannot give us directions?" Linka wanted to know. "How will we find them?" There were times when even Ma-Ti didn't know where to go and this seemed to be one of those times.

"We must not lose heart," the Heart Planeteer told her. "If there is a way lead us there, he will find it."

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**A/N:** I know there are more readers out there than just the one reviewer suggests. So drop me a line and let me know what you think of the story so far.


	4. Just a matter of persuasion

**Chapter 3: Just a matter of persuasion**

"Analysis of blood sample complete," MAL announced.

Blight looked at the computer in anticipation. "What have you found?" she wanted to know.

"Blood types are incompatible," the computer told her. "As you know, yours is A-. Hers is O+. Therefore, they are incompatible."

"Does the sample appear normal?" was the doctor's next question.

"There is something strange in the sample," the AI stated. "From what we have seen and heard I can only conclude that the foreign matter belongs to Captain Planet."

"Have you tried extracting the 'foreign matter' from hers?" Blight persisted.

"It doesn't seem to be possible," her sidekick told her. "It's bonded with most of her blood cells. The bonding seems to be so complete that it's impossible to separate them."

There was something else too and MAL was trying to decide whether or not to tell the doctor about it. For the first time he wasn't sure what to do, the computer's loyalty warring with what he could only call conscience. Finally, he decided to keep quiet, telling himself he needed further analysis to confirm it first. The information could always be divulged later.

Unaware of this, Blight was disappointed to hear that the blood was totally useless to her. The scientist wasn't that foolhardy as to try blood that was of a different blood group than her own. But she still had the superhero and there was nothing preventing her from going for the bigger catch.

'_Good,'_ Kim thought. _'But I'm sure she was prepared for that setback.'_ The brunette glanced at Cap. He would most definitely be her next target. Or the one the villain was really aiming for.

Cap was relieved to hear all that, too. But despite what she had tried to make him believe, he knew Blight and was convinced now that it had been her intention to get her hands on his blood from the get go, not Kim's at all. True, she had done some tests to it but he was sure that he was her ultimate target. Earlier, the villain had let slip that she was after a bigger dose and that she could only get from him.

Well, he wouldn't give himself up voluntarily, that was for sure.

"Looks like she's useless to you, Blight," Cap called. He couldn't help sounding pleased.

The villain looked at him with an unmistakable glint in her eye. "Lucky for her. But I still have you," she said pointing at the superhero.

Kim gave a laugh. "You're not expecting him to just give himself up, are you?"

Blight smirked. She had no such delusions. "No, but maybe with some persuasion, he will." The couple looked at each other. What did that mean?

The scientist pressed a button on the remote she had in her hand. At first nothing seemed to happen but it soon became clear what she had done. The biggest clue was Kim who started gasping for breath. It was obvious the air was being sucked out fast because it was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. Her hand went to her throat and she looked at Cap with clear panic showing in her eyes.

Knowing what he now knew, MAL could've stopped it, used to the venting that would most probably be the result of that. The AI was sure the superhero wouldn't stand for something like this so the computer decided to wait and see what would happen. He reminded himself to do a scan on the woman later.

Cap's grin faded, replaced by shock. _'No, this can't be happening!'_ He had known the scientist was without morals but hadn't thought she would go this far.

"What's it gonna be, Planet?" Blight asked. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity for the woman but chose to ignore it. "You know what you have to do to save her."

Getting over his shock, Cap knew he had to act fast. He had to get her some air because he sure wasn't going to watch his girlfriend suffocate before his eyes, everything else be damned. "Hold on!" he exclaimed and was going to smash the wall separating them.

Blight simply pushed another button on her remote and thick smog started spraying from the sides of his cell. Trying to ignore the smog and stay standing, Cap succeeded in making a spider web-like crack in the wall's surface before he sank to his knees. It was thicker than he had thought. And the smog must have been some form of concentrated stuff the doc had cooked up just for him. Managing to get back on his feet, he could only watch helplessly as Kim tried to get what little oxygen there still was in the room into her lungs.

Kim could feel her heart beat faster as it tried to get what little oxygen there still was into her failing body. It was like it was trying to fight its way out of her chest. Was this it? She had found out she would get to live longer only to die the same day. Her knees buckled and she sank to the floor onto her side. She was fighting to keep her eyes open. As Cap watched, the woman lost the battle. Her lips were already turning blue.

"Stop!" he exclaimed. "Give her some air." Knowing all too well what else lack of oxygen did to the body and what would be coming next, the superhero tried to get the wall to budge but thanks to the smog, he couldn't do much. There was also the fact that if he broke the wall, the smog would reach Kim as well and that he didn't want to happen.

The villain only stood there holding up the remote expectantly. "You didn't say please."

As if he would give her the satisfaction of hearing him beg. But he knew what would work just as well. "Do what you like to me but leave her alone." If that's what it took to save his girlfriend, so be it. Even if that had been what the villain had been after from the first place.

That was just what Blight had been waiting to hear. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it," she commented. The villain was pleased to know she was one step closer to her goal. _'This proves it,' _she thought._ 'Love is a weakness.'_ She had never had a very high opinion of it to begin with. The blonde pushed another button on the remote and oxygen was blown back into Kim's cell.

At first there was no reaction and Cap was afraid it was already too late. But then she took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. The woman coughed, gulping the air into her oxygen-deprived lungs.

"Kim?" he called, ignoring the surrounding smog. "Are you alright?" The superhero hoped the lack of oxygen hadn't done anything irreversible. How long had she been without air to breathe? He wasn't sure. _'Please, let her be OK.'_

Kim sat up. Was she actually alive? She had been close to death only once before but this time had been much worse because she had been conscious to begin with. The woman didn't want to experience something like that again. It had been awful not to be able to breathe. Even if it had been for only a moment, it had felt like forever.

It took another call of her name for her to look at him. She smiled a little. "I-I think so. Yes."

Cap's legs gave out from under him again, in part because of the smog and in part because of relief. Thank goodness.

Then the smog registered on Kim and she gasped. Not trusting her legs yet, she went to the glassy partition on her hands and knees. "Is that…?"

Cap nodded, coughing. "Uh huh. Blight didn't take my misbehaving too kindly." He pointed at the crack he had made.

"Your boyfriend was oh-so-worried about you," MAL said in a depreciatory tone. "Guess what he did so you'd get to breathe again?" At the same time he did that scan on the woman, concluding everything was as it should be.

Kim was almost afraid to ask. She knew him to be selfless so it wasn't that hard to figure out. "You didn't…?"

"He did," Blight told her. "The sucker surrendered himself to me to save your miserable life."

Cap shrugged. All that mattered to him now was that his girlfriend was alright. "It was either that or letting you suffocate." He put his hand against the glass, although he would have much rather touched her cheek. "It was a no-brainer."

The brunette placed her hand where his was. She was grateful for him for saving her life. Again. What she didn't like was the fact that he had put himself in danger instead but didn't say it. She knew he knew that. But that was the way he was. Putting himself on the line for others with no regard for his own life. So far he had survived. This time there were no Planeteers, though. At least not yet.

Watching this, Blight's upper lip curled up, disgusted. If she had ever needed someone, it had only been when she had needed that person for her own gain. There was only one "person" the doctor cared about besides herself and that was her computer. He could be counted on never to let her down.

Kim felt she had to do something in return for her boyfriend. "Can't you get rid of that stuff?" she called to Blight, meaning the smog.

"Why should I?" the scientist asked out of simple curiosity. She had no intention of doing anything of the sort, now that she had the superhero cornered.

The brunette looked back at Cap, who shook his head a little, telling her it wouldn't work. But she stubbornly persisted. "You don't want this to be too easy, do you? You already have him. There's no challenge if you just beat him like this." Kim knew she was taking a gamble but she had to do something for him.

Blight wouldn't have wanted to admit it but the other woman right. Grunting, she used the remote again and the smog cleared from inside the superhero's side, if only to shut the little woman up, leaving only small traces of it wafting in the air. She could've let him cook in it a little longer but knowing what awaited him once they arrived at her hideout, was sure it would be enough.

After who knew how long a flight, Blight's ship reached the mainland. Every chance she got, Kim would try and see if there were any distinct landmarks visible. So far there had been nothing of note.

But then she realized the ship was descending. Its destination looked to be a big valley flanked with mountain ranges from both sides, with a mountain marking both its northern and southern boundaries. A very dry-looking valley. It seemed to be well below sea level.

"Welcome to Death Valley," Blight announced.

"Suits her," Kim commented. It was obvious she really didn't like the villain.

Cap had to agree but this changed everything. He had been going to ask Blight to let Kim go once they arrived at the hideout since she had got what she wanted but now he had to rethink that. If the doctor did that, his girlfriend wouldn't last long in this hot and dry place. The eco-hero was quite sure that Blight wouldn't even hear of it, anyway. Or vice versa just because of where they were, that being the worst option. So he chose not to say anything.

The superhero was sure he wouldn't have to give the name of the valley to the Planeteers since the place was quite well-known. But since it was so big, he had to know where they were going to land.

At first it seemed they were headed for a plain cliff face. As the ship got closer, though, double doors could be made out where there earlier had been nothing. Either the doors were made of the same rock as the range or they were just camouflaged with it. It was on the eastern wall of the valley.

Uncharacteristically, the villain let Kim help Cap out of the ship. Not wanting to do the job herself, Blight enlisted the brunette to do the job for her. Thankful for this brief opportunity to spend time with her boyfriend, Kim agreed.

"It was either drag you out myself or let her do it for me," the villain told him when Cap commented on her kindness to let them have at least that moment to be together. "Now move it." Why do it yourself if you had someone to do it for you?

With his arm around her shoulders, she made her way to the entrance. "Easy does it," she said as he seemed to falter. Cap assured her he wasn't as weak as he seemed to be. The act was for Blight's benefit only. At least part of it. Kim looked at the superhero who winked. She didn't know whether to believe him or not.

The ship was left outside and stood out like a sore thumb among the rocky landscape.

* * *

"_Ma-Ti…"_

In the Geo-Cruiser, Ma-Ti started, recognizing the superhero's voice. "I am getting something," the Kayapo told the others. In his mind he saw an image of a long and quite a deep valley. In fact, it seemed to be below sea level.

"What is it?" Linka asked.

"Looks like a valley," the South American said. It did look familiar but he couldn't place it, quite sure they had talked about it at some point.

_"Eastern side. Blight's ship marks the spot,"_ Cap's voice told him and he shared this with the others.

They accessed the geographical data on the Geo-Cruiser and narrowed the search down to valleys on the western side of the mainland.

When an image of Death Valley came up, the Heart Planeteer perked up. "That is it!"

Wheeler straightened in his seat. "Where to?" Once he heard they would be headed for Death Valley in California, the redhead whistled. "Trust her to pick such a place for a hideout."

* * *

Once inside the hideout, which turned out to be a cave, to which they had had to walk through a fairly short passageway, Blight directed Kim to take the superhero to a small room in the back and restrain him from his wrists to the ceiling. The room was bare except for the shackles. The brunette didn't want to know what the walls hid behind them.

"Nice, I get a private room," Cap commented as they entered the cell, looking around. "Doesn't look very cozy, though."

"Oh, shut up," Kim muttered under her breath. She really wasn't in the mood for his jokes right now.

"Make yourself at home, Planet," Blight told him. "This may be the last place you'll ever see."

As the shackles were put around his wrists, Cap looked at the brunette and saw the telltale biting of the lip. The superhero could sense the jumble of emotions that were raging inside her despite the fact that she was acting brave. He could understand that since she hadn't been in situations like this that often. On top of everything he could sense guilt for something. Did she blame herself for what had happened? It was true the woman had distracted him, trying to make him tell her where they were going but since the attack had been so sudden, Cap was sure they would have ended up caught nonetheless. Now just wasn't the time to talk about it, telepathically or otherwise.

"No matter what happens, I want you to be strong for me, OK?" he said in a low voice. Not that she wasn't strong already. She just didn't realize how strong she was sometimes.

Kim managed to smile a little. "I will." She put her hand on his cheek. "You stay strong, too. Whatever she'll try, stay strong for me."

The eco-hero smiled, doing the same now that he still could. "Trust me," he said with a wink. "She won't get a drop. You know I have my ways to prevent that."

The brunette knew the superhero could change the density of his skin at will. Either his whole body or just parts of it, making it as soft as human skin or as hard as diamond or something in between. She did have faith in her boyfriend. It was Blight she did not. There was no telling what the villain would do to get what she wanted.

"See that she doesn't," Kim told him.

"_The Planeteers _will_ find us,"_ Cap assured her. He was positive about that. _"Now that they know where to look for, they'll be here soon."_

"Aren't you done yet?" Blight asked impatiently from the door.

Kim glanced at her, testing the restraints. Testing if she could loosen them somehow but found that she couldn't once they were closed. "Almost." The woman looked back at Cap. _'They better hurry, then,'_ she thought at him. _'Because I want out of here. Before she makes me her personal slave.'_

Compared to the first time she had tried this her thoughts came more clearly to him now. The woman didn't have to keep it as simple anymore as she had had to do back then, for one. Plenty of practice had done its job.

"_Over my dead body,"_ Cap said and immediately regretted saying it because of the look on Kim's face.

* * *

After Kim had been taken to a cell of her own, Blight returned to Cap's cell. "You do know I'm not going to make this easy for you, don't you?" the superhero said.

She grinned. "I welcome the challenge." Pushing a button on her remote, the restraints pulled the superhero's arms above his head. But he could still stand.

He would give her just that, not about to give an inch if he could help it. "But here's a fact I'm sure you don't welcome: you'll have to kill me to get what you want." The eco-hero hoped the Planeteers would get there before that happened, though. He had been close to being worm food many times before but thanks to the five that hadn't happened yet. "But," he added. "Once I'm dead my blood won't be of any use to you anymore."

Blight wasn't sure if he was bluffing or not. "Once I get what I want from you, Planet," she told him. "I don't care what happens to you." And if he was still alive when she got a hold of his blood, she would finish him off herself. Weakened, the superhero wouldn't stand a chance against her.

"Bring it," Cap told her.

Blight was about to close the door but then she thought of something. "There is an option, of course," she said, coming to him.

"What might that be?" He was sure any option she would give him sounded good only to her.

"Let me have a dose of your blood willingly," the doctor purred, running her hand over his chest. Needless to say Cap didn't like it but he couldn't do anything about it, either. "A bigger dose than you gave her, of course and with your blood in me, together we could be a force to be reckoned with. We could even overthrow Gaia." Even if she hated him and everything he stood for, she wanted to give him a choice.

Overthrow Gaia… As if he wanted to do that. And like the superhero had told her once before, all he wanted to do was protect the Earth, not destroy it. "I think you already know what my answer's gonna be," Cap stated.

"Whatever," Blight commented. She went to the door. "Have fun." The door closed with a clang.

Almost immediately after that smog started pouring in. Cap had actually expected it to be something worse. He tested the strength of the chain that was attached to his shackles now that he still had some strength left. It didn't give at all. All he could do now was wait for the Planeteers to arrive.

* * *

**A/N:** Just what is it that MAL has found? Will the Planeteers be there in time?


	5. Racing the clock

**Chapter 4: Racing the clock**

'_Some birthday this turned out to be,'_ Kim thought to herself. It had been her fault that Cap hadn't paid attention. She had pestered her boyfriend to tell her where they were going even though he had told her it was supposed to be a surprise. Because of this they had ended up getting caught. Kim knew what Cap would've said if she had told him. He would not blame her for this at all, probably telling her it might have happened regardless. It was true that the attack had happened without warning, but she knew she really should learn some patience already. If only to prevent something like this from happening again.

Kim wasn't worried for herself right now, though. Cap had ended up getting the short end of the stick. He had put himself on the line to save her. The brunette didn't know what she would do if her boyfriend paid for it with his life. If Blight ended up killing her too, at least she wouldn't have to spend the rest of her life, however long it was, alone.

She was tempted to reach out to him and ask how he was doing, but wasn't sure if that was wise.

* * *

Cap didn't know how long it had been since Blight's last visit. The villain had checked on him at least twice by now to see if she could get a hold of his blood. Every time she had tried, the superhero had prevented it so Blight couldn't leave a mark on him. After she had left the smog had been followed by some other gases, one after another. Briefly he wondered where Blight had managed to get a hold of so many. The superhero didn't bother identifying them. It was enough for him that they were something that weakened him, slowly but surely. Not to mention the effort it took to try and prevent Blight from getting at his blood. If he had been at full power, it would've been easy. He found himself wondering why there was no toxic waste or toxic oil or anything like that. The answer was simple: they would do the job faster. Apparently the doctor wasn't in any hurry and she also did enjoy seeing others suffer.

Cap coughed, grimacing as this hurt his throat. At least there wasn't any pesticides among the gases. Yet. Their effect he would've recognized. He could practically taste some of them on his tongue. The superhero would have liked to rinse his mouth with something to get rid of the foul taste. He knew Blight would not do such a favor for him if he asked so didn't bother. The gases also made his eyes water and he could only blink in an effort to be able to see again, since his arms were unavailable for wiping the moisture away.

He was glad they were not in Antarctica this time. Kim would surely have frozen to death by now. And he wouldn't have been able to do anything to help her.

Antarctica… Unbidden, a memory surfaced of the time Blight had captured him with Nukem. Would the mutant make an appearance this time, too? When Cap had had the chance to have a brief look around while being taken to his cell, he hadn't seen the protective suit she had used back then. So did that mean she was working solo? If she was, that was a relief to know. Again, the eco-hero wasn't worried for himself. Radiation poisoning wasn't something he wanted Kim to experience, not to mention the slow wasting away that would follow. Just the mere thought of that horrified him.

Cap couldn't help groaning. He wasn't sure how much longer he could stay standing, tempted to just hang there and not waste the energy he had left. It was getting harder and harder to resist. But there was someone he had promised to stay strong and he would do everything he could to keep that promise.

'_Blue?'_ Kim had had to give in, being of two minds about this for a long time. She just had had to check on him.

Speak of the devil. Cap's head snapped up at the familiar voice. _"Still here, love,"_ he replied, trying to find a more comfortable position, making the chains that were attached to his restraints rattle. Standing up with your arms above your head wasn't that easy, especially if you couldn't put them down once in a while. The only times that had happened was when Blight had paid him a visit and even then only one of his arms had been relieved of the tension. For a short time.

'_How are you holding up?'_ Kim wanted to know. There was relief and worry mixed in. Cap could feel the woman's love surround him, acting as a crutch. It would help him bear the punishment for a while longer. How much longer, he didn't know.

"_Hanging in there,"_ he told her. How long until it would become literal? _"Has Blight left you alone?"_

'_I don't care about Blight,' _the woman said firmly._ 'I only care about you right now."_

"_Does that mean you're unharmed?"_ Cap persisted.

'_I'm fine,'_ was the short reply, her tone telling him that was the end of it. There was a pause. _'Remember what you promised me, superhero of mine?'_ Kim asked. _'That you would not give up. DO NOT let her win.'_

Did she know he was struggling? Well, plenty of time had passed since he had been brought into this room and his girlfriend didn't have any illusions of him being able to resist forever.

"_I won't, I promise you that,"_ he told her. It was becoming more and more difficult because of the gases that were sapping his strength. _"But I gotta tell ya it's anything but easy."_

Kim would have wanted to give him a power boost if she had been able to. The brunette wasn't empathic like he was but a strong mental connection had formed between them over the years, almost as strong a connection as the superhero had with the Planeteers. Love was a strong bond. But it couldn't perform miracles.

'_You are Earth's champion, aren't you?'_ she reminded him. _'Haven't you been through worse than this?'_

His girlfriend had always believed in him, even when his own belief had faltered. But he had never been in a situation where he was surrounded by more than one gas for a prolonged period of time. Blight had kept him in something she had called a "smog bath" once but now there was more than smog involved.

'_Looks like she's going to pay you a visit,'_ the brunette informed him out of the blue. She was obviously close enough to his cell to see that. Or had a clear view to the door. The room was indeed clearing of the gases, leaving only some of the smog lingering in the air. There was small window in the door but the eco-hero hadn't bothered to check how much he could see through it.

"_Thanks for the heads-up,"_ Cap said, standing up a little straighter and preparing himself for whatever Blight wanted. She was most probably coming to see if she could finally collect his blood to use in her demented schemes. Even though he was weak, he wasn't in so much discomfort as before. That did not mean he wasn't hurting.

If they survived this ordeal, the eco-hero decided he would take his girlfriend where he had intended to take her for her birthday in the first place. Or anywhere she wanted to go. If she still did. But only after he had had a good recharge.

The door of his cell opened and Blight walked in. She seemed to be surprised that he was still on his feet. "Too stubborn to know when you're beaten?"

Cap grinned. "Maybe I'm tougher than you think." He couldn't stop the cough that escaped, though.

"We'll see about that,"Blight said, eyeing him.

With a push of a button from her ever-present remote, the other shackle slackened, leaving only his other arm above his head. The superhero couldn't help staggering a little before finding his balance again.

'_Tougher, my foot,'_ she thought. _'The fool's clearly almost had it.'_ The scientist was sure he had only tried to save his own hide when he had told her that his blood was useless to her if he died. So when that happened she could get as much of his blood as she wanted.

He knew what would happen and willed his skin to harden a bit more, hoping it was enough. And it was. The eco-hero was pleased to know that he had succeeded in foiling the villain's attempts to get her hands on his blood for the third time. So far. Cap knew Blight wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted or he was dead. Who knew if she would try to get at her prize even after that, not having believed what he had told her earlier.

Clearly frustrated, Blight returned his other shackle the way it had been and left, yanking the superhero's arm back up so fast he couldn't help grimacing, slamming the door shut after herself. Almost as soon as the door of his cell closed, Cap sighed in relief. This also caused him to inhale some of the gas and try as he might, couldn't stop the cough that was the result.

Trying to catch his breath, Cap could hear the scientist venting at MAL, although he couldn't make out the words. The superhero gave a laugh which sounded more like a croak than a laugh.

'_I don't think I can take much more of this,' _the eco-hero thought. But for the sake of his girlfriend he would try.

As luck would have it, the smog thickened again, joined shortly with other gases. It might have been his imagination but there seemed to be something new mixed in. Gritting his teeth, Cap held on to what strength he had left. If something more was still added to the mix, he knew he definitely wouldn't last much longer. Who knew there would be so many dangerous gases out there?

He kept his eyes trained to the door, straining his ears to hear anything that meant the Planeteers had arrived. He could hear nothing but Blight.

The eco-hero knew he was getting very, very low on power. He had had plenty of experience about similar situations not to know. To save his strength, Cap let himself hang there like a wet rag. He couldn't feel his arms anymore, saving him from the discomfort this caused. The metal groaned under his weight, the density of his body he was trying to maintain making him quite heavy, but didn't give out.

How many times would the doc try before she gave up or the Planeteers showed up? The superhero hadn't given up hope that the five would arrive and get him and Kim out of this place.

Cap's eyelids felt so heavy he could hardly keep his eyes open. He mustered up the shreds of his strength and his willpower both to prevent losing consciousness.

"_Hurry, Planeteers."_

* * *

Ma-Ti heard the superhero's silent plea. The Heart Planeteer hoped he would hold on until they got there. Ever since they had found out the location of Blight's hideout, they had made a beeline for the place.

"What is our ETA to Blight's hideout?" the Kayapo asked Wheeler.

The redhead checked the plane's the instruments. "At this speed, ETA is approximately 45 minutes." Wheeler looked at the youngest member of the team. "I think I can squeeze a little more out of her, though."

Ma-Ti simply nodded, knowing time was of the essence.

* * *

Listening to Blight's ranting, Kim smiled. She was proud of the superhero for being able not to let the villain have her way. Even though he was weak.

The villain noticed the brunette's smile. "What are you smiling about?" she snapped. "Even if I haven't gotten any of his blood _yet_, it won't be long until I will."

"He won't let you have any of it, believe me," Kim told her firmly.

Blight smirked. "Really? It looked to me he won't be able to prevent that for much longer." She was pleased to see the woman's eyes widen.

Kim wasn't sure if the villain was bluffing or not. She didn't dare reach out to him again to check though, even if she wanted to, not wanting him to use up the little power he had left. He needed it. _'Where are you, Planeteers?'_ she wondered, biting her lip, looking at the door behind which her boyfriend was imprisoned. _'Please, hold on, honey.'_

* * *

Later, when Blight came out of the superhero's cell after another fruitless visit MAL informed her she was running low on stuff to use on the superhero. "Seems you underestimated him. Again."

Appearing not to listen, Kim smiled when she heard that.

"You don't have to tell me something I already know," the doctor snapped. Many times he had seemed to be on the brink of giving up but now she realized she had been way too gentle with him. Well, no more. It was time to up the ante. "Keep an eye on her," Blight told the AI, even though she knew the woman wouldn't be able to escape. Once she was done with Captain Planet, the scientist had to figure out what to do with his girl.

Without waiting for MAL's reply, she marched out of the hideout and aboard her ship, taking off.

MAL had been debating with himself if he should tell Dr. Blight about what he had found while analyzing the blood sample that had been taken from their captive. What would she do with the knowledge if he did tell her? Knowing her, nothing good.

The AI was curious to know did the brunette know about it. Not sure why, he decided to tell her, doing it in such a way that he wouldn't need to tell the doctor anything about sharing information with a captive. Information that he felt the woman needed to know. If she didn't already.

MAL caught Kim's attention. "What do you want?" she asked, not really wanting to talk to him.

"To talk about what I found in that blood sample of yours," the computer told her.

Why? She was sure she already knew all there was to know about what was in it. "Leave me alone."

"Leave the two of you alone, you mean?" MAL asked.

Kim looked at the screen with a frown. Had the computer blown a fuse? "Are you seeing double? There's only one of me in here."

Either she was bluffing or she really hadn't known. "There soon will be two of you," MAL told her. "In about 9 months, that is." If that wasn't a clear enough clue, nothing was.

The woman stared at the computer. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? But Kim couldn't ask the computer anything further because he started making strange noises and then the screen showed only static.

Not long after that faint footstep could be heard from the corridor that led inside from the entrance. Five people the brunette recognized stopped at the mouth of it. Kim came to the bars, a smile lighting her face, relief flooding through her and told them it was safe to come in with a thumbs up.

"Planeteers! Thank goodness!" When she was asked if she had any idea how to get her out of the cell since there clearly wasn't any buttons to do so, the brunette sobered. "I can wait. Go and help Blue first." The brunette pointed at the door in the back. "Hurry!" she exclaimed, watching her friends run to the door.

It opened easily. Apparently Blight hadn't bothered to install a lock on it, so sure the superhero wouldn't be able to escape. Some of the smog drifted out, making the group gag so they had no choice but to close it again. The room had been so thick with what was in there that they hadn't been able to see a thing inside.

"We have to clear the room of the gases first," Kwame stated, coughing.

"How do we do that?" Wheeler wondered.

"Look for a remote!" Kim called from her cell, hoping Doctor Demented hadn't taken it with her. She also hoped her boyfriend could hold on just a little longer, no idea how he was faring at the moment. She was worried sick.

The hunt for the remote was successful and once they had it figured out, the room began clearing of the stuff that prevented anything to be seen inside from the outside.

"Come on, come on," could be heard from every Planeteer's mouth. They were as anxious as Kim was to get to the superhero and get him out. Despite having more experience about this than she did, situations like this were never easy.

Once it was determined it had cleared enough, the door was opened again. The superhero hanging there, totally limp, held up only by the shackles around his wrists, made them gasp. Alas, the restraints were too high for any of them to reach. Kwame, who had the remote, looked at it and looked for a button that had something to do with the restraints. Finding one, he pushed it.

The shackles opened with a click and Cap fell down onto the floor in a heap, an involuntary gasp coming from him as he hit the floor. He didn't move at all after that. But it did the trick and helped him become aware that something was happening. There was no outward sign of this, though.

Kim heard the thud and wanted to get out "right now". A push of a button later she ran to Cap's cell where the others were just turning him over onto his back. The superhero was heavy and limp. When the woman saw him lying prone on the floor, she gasped. Unbidden, she recalled her nightmare in which she had found him, dead.

'_Please, don't let it be too late,'_ the woman begged of no one in particular, hoping the dream hadn't been a sign of things to come. "Blue?" she called, stroking his hair.

The superhero was faintly aware of her voice. He knew there was only one person who called him by that name. It might have been his imagination but he could have sworn he felt the Planeteers being close. Had he heard their voices earlier?

"Please, honey," the familiar voice of his girlfriend begged, his limp hand in hers. "Open your eyes."

It sounded like she was crying or close to it. But try as he might, Cap couldn't seem to fight his way back and open his eyes. He was simply too weak.

"Come on, Cap," a voice the superhero recognized as Gi's encouraged him from beside her friend. "Wake up." The others' voices joined in, as well. He hadn't imagined it, then. It had never been this difficult before to open his eyes.

'_I won't lose him now, especially after what MAL just told me,'_ Kim thought. She would go and see a doctor to confirm it, not trusting the word of Dr. Blight's computer. The brunette leaned down and kissed her boyfriend. "Don't you dare die on me, you hear?" she told him in a low voice, her words meant only for him. "You don't want me to raise junior on my own, do you?"

Hearing that was a shock to Cap, understanding what his girlfriend meant and it gave him the push to struggle back into the conscious world even harder. It felt like climbing up from a very deep well. Finally he took a breath and started to cough. Once the fit subsided he slowly opened his eyes. He could barely keep them open. His arms tingled all over thanks to the uncomfortable position they had been in for such a long time. And he couldn't even shake the numbness out of them thanks to his weakened state.

"Glad to have you with us again," Wheeler commented. The superhero just smiled a little, not sure if he could get a word out without coughing again. His throat felt bad enough already.

Kim put her hand against his cheek, tears running down her cheeks. She ignored them. "Hey. I thought I'd lost you."

"Never," Cap croaked. "What did you…?" he began, wanting confirmation. Had he heard correctly?

The brunette put a finger to his lips before he got any further. "Hush. That can wait for later. Go and get your strength back. You look like you need it."

Cap was sure he looked better than he felt. _'She's right,'_ the superhero thought. _'On both counts.'_ But before he left he had to know one thing first. "Did Blight…" The superhero paused, grimacing. "Did Blight… get any?" He had done his very best to prevent that from happening but wasn't sure if he had succeeded. The hero wasn't even sure if the villain had paid him a visit after the last one.

Kim thought back to all the times the villain had come out of this room. She was sure that if Blight had succeeded she would've gloated about it and that hadn't happened. "I don't think so." How he had been able to prevent that while enduring everything Blight had thrown at him, was beyond her. They would search the place before they left, though, just in case.

This seemed to satisfy Cap. He closed his eyes for a moment, relieved. He looked at Kim again and managed another smile. "See you… at home, my love." She nodded with a smile. "The power is… yours…" The last word was just a sigh. The superhero made his exit and the powers zoomed back into the rings.

The blood the doctor had taken from Kim was found and disposed of effectively by Wheeler and his ring. An additional search proved that there were no more to be found, hers or otherwise.

"Blight's gonna have a fit when she gets back," the Fire Planeteer said with a grin. "Where'd she go, anyway?"

"MAL informed her the nasty stuff she had for Blue was running low," Kim told him. "Seems she underestimated how much she'd need." She turned to look at the computer. "Is that thing really out of commission? He won't be able to restart, or anything?"

"Nothing short of a reboot is not going to work," Linka stated confidently. "Lucky Blight has not installed an antivirus program."

Kim was relieved to hear that. "You mean he could've lost the data concerning our capture and everything to do with it?"

The blonde seemed uncertain. "Of that I am not sure but it is possible. Depends how recent her backup is."

"If she has one," Kwame commented.

"Great job, babe," Wheeler congratulated the blonde and attempted to kiss her but the Russian told him now was the time for such things. There was ample time for that when they got back home.

"What was this all about?" Kwame wanted to know when they made their way back to the Geo-Cruiser. "Why did Dr. Blight capture you two?"

Kim told them the whole story, just leaving out the stuff MAL had told her before the Planteers had arrived.

"Something good came out of this too, then," Ma-Ti said. "Who knows when you would have found out about the side-effect his blood had if Dr. Blight had not captured you." The South American figured something like that would be hard not to notice.

'_That's not the only thing I found out,'_ she thought, wondering why the computer hadn't told Blight about it. If it was true, that is. "I guess you're right. But I'm still the same person despite that." She didn't want to be treated any differently just because of what the superhero's blood had done to her, prolonging her life.

"Despite what?" Gi asked with a grin. As far as she was concerned, nothing had changed. Besides, nobody had known there would such a side-effect.

Kim smiled at that. "We managed to stop her now," she said. "But what if she's gonna try again?" The brunette would've rather not go through this again if she could help it.

"First she is going to have to fix her computer," Kwame stated. And without anything to get rid of the virus, that could take a while.

"Some birthday, huh?" Gi commented, a hand on her friend's shoulder.

Kim rolled her eyes. "You can say that again." Even though she and Cap hadn't been able to celebrate it like they had planned to, her best present was that her boyfriend was alive and well.

The six of them got aboard the plane and set a course for home.

* * *

When Blight returned the first thing she noticed was the open door of the superhero's cell, noting Kim's empty cell with only mild interest. She went to check if the room really was empty. Maybe the door had just opened on its own… But there was nobody in there. All that was found was the remote on the floor.

"MAL! How could you let him escape?" the doctor demanded.

There was no answer and she realized the AI hadn't greeted her like he usually did. MAL's static filled screen was the only thing that stared back at her.

"MAL, sweetums? What have they done to you?" The villain had a pretty good idea of who "they" were. How had they found this place?

The computer stayed silent, the screen unchanging. It didn't help any to push any buttons. "I hate those Planetpains!" Blight yelled in frustration at no one in particular, throwing the remote she had in her hand as far as she could, not caring if she ended up breaking it.


	6. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Once safely back on Hope Island, Kim could fully reflect on what she had learned. According to the tape from the future they had seen aboard Blight's ship, she would live longer than she had anticipated. Longer by how much, no one knew. But she was ready to find out. Especially if the man she loved would be there beside her.

Cap, now back to full strength again, looked at her. They were walking on the beach. He could guess at what his girlfriend was thinking about. "How do you feel about possibly being stuck with me longer than you expected?" the superhero wanted to know.

He was sure it was a lot to take in that you would live longer than you expected. The couple hadn't really talked about the differences between them before but it was a simple fact that the superhero would have outlived her in normal circumstances. Not anymore, apparently, thanks to the unexpected side-effect his blood had had. Cap hadn't even wanted to think much about having inevitably to lose his girlfriend to old age and was glad that he would get to spend a number of years more with her. How many more, that remained to be seen.

"Good question," Kim admitted. She smiled at him and fondled his cheek. "It will take some time to get used to but I do look forward to a long life if you're there to share it with me." She didn't think of it as being stuck with him but knowing it had been a bit of a joke, she didn't comment on it.

Cap stopped walking and took her face between his hands, smiling affectionately. Even after all this time, the superhero still thanked whatever higher power that had brought the woman to him, be it fate or otherwise. "Love, I'm not going anywhere." He leaned down and kissed her.

She hadn't really needed to hear that to know it was true and pressed up against her boyfriend, enjoying the kiss. Her insecurities were long gone.

Both were silent for a while as they resumed walking down the beach. "How did you find out that you could possibly be… you know?" the superhero asked finally. He was unwilling to say the word until it was confirmed she was with child. Cap realized he was eager to find out if they really were going to have a baby. More eager than he even dared to admit.

Neither of them had known how big the chances were of them ever being able to have a baby. But the superhero was half human so if there was even the smallest of chances of that happening, the couple had decided that it was better to wait until they were both ready to be parents. Until then Kim had been on the pill because the couple wouldn't forgo intimacy because of that. It had taken Cap just a tad longer to get used to the idea than Kim, since he had never even thought about becoming a father. He simply hadn't needed to until his girlfriend had brought it up after their passions had gotten the better of them.

Once the couple had been ready to take that step, they had decided that it would happen if it was meant to.

"MAL told me, for whatever reason," Kim replied. Why the computer had done it was a mystery.

That was a surprise to hear. "Really? Did he say anything to Blight?" Cap wanted to know.

The brunette had had a front seat to everything the two had said and she shook her head. "Nor will he if what Linka told us about the virus she gave him is correct."

This was the first he heard about the virus. Not for the first time Cap was glad there was someone who knew computers in the Planeteers. "Good."

"Honey, could we talk about this after we know for sure?" Kim said when the superhero was clearly about to ask something else. Even though her blood sample was a reliable source, Kim didn't want to jump the gun until someone trustworthy gave her the news. She had made an appointment with her doctor for the next day for a pregnancy test while her boyfriend had been recharging. They would tell the news to the Planeteers once it was confirmed.

"Of course," he said. "Sorry, love." He could've tried to find out himself, if he had known what to look for. Even if he had been able to feel it he wouldn't probably have known that he had the first time around. It would be like a shot in the dark.

* * *

The next morning Kim took the Eco-Copter and left for the mainland. After she had had to shoo Buddy, who would've wanted to go with her, out, that is. The dog's fur had gone gray in places, most notably the muzzle, but he was still acting like a young dog sometimes. The biggest clue that he was getting old was that he slept a lot.

As always, Cap was the one who managed to get the dog under control.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," the brunette told Cap, giving him a kiss. The Eco-Copter lifted off and headed for the mainland.

"Who would've thought I'd get to experience something like this," the eco-hero said to Buddy. Ever since he had met Kim his life had undergone a total change.

The dog looked up at him and tilted his head.

Despite trying not to, he found himself thinking which he would rather want the baby to be, a boy or a girl, coming to the conclusion that it didn't matter. Whichever the child ended up being, both he and his girlfriend would cherish this gift they had been given.

Knowing it would take hours for his girlfriend to get back Cap chose to go recharge. But not before he had told the Planeteers to call him once Kim came back. She would have news he wanted to hear.

"Nothing serious, is it?" Gi asked.

The eco-hero assured the Water Planeteer everything was alright and told the five that he and Kim would tell them what this was about once the brunette was back. With that, Cap left.

* * *

When Kim returned the Planeteers did as the superhero had requested and called him. The couple shared a warm kiss. The woman understood why he had done what he had, knowing full well how boredom would affect him. Not to mention having to wait for news that were important.

"So what's the verdict?" Cap wanted to know.

"Well, honey," Kim told him. "It's official. You're going to be a father."

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it for this one. Don't know if I'm going to publish what comes next. But I will write it. Will it join the other stuff I haven't published remains to be seen.


End file.
